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, TWO NEIGHBORS.
'0 By Selina Lillian. Higgins.
J (Copyright by W- CP- Chapman.)
1 When David Barry was elected to
he tpvm board of Creston', every
body seemed pleased except John
Ward.''Eor one reason-, Ward "also
ran." Twice before "he had been
elected during the i5ast four years,
But '.he had developed7 a grouchy,
crossjgrained way of; thinking and
'
Shouted Wrathfully Across the Fence.
"acting, and even his friends had be
come antagonized.
"The idea of that upstart taking
' my place!" rallied Ward. "Why, he's
, hardly lived here long enough to be a
"citizen. I'll drive him from Creston,.
fer go' myself."
The homes of the'enemies, if such
they may be called, adjoined. It was.
not at all pleasant ,for the wojnen
and younger members of the families,
when Ward threatened all kinds of
retribution if his wife' or' children
spoke or ever looked at the Bafrys.
".He has got on his high horse too
late for ,me," young Elmer Barry ad
vised his father one day. "Cecille; his
daughter, is the dearest gui in the
world; we have become engaged, and
when we get ready we. are .going to
marry." v
"Yes," assented Mr. Barry, "I do"
npt know a more .estimable! young
lady. I fear, though, that you will
have some opposition to encounter.
'"yVhat is the matter with the. man,
anyhow?" questioned Elmer. "I
have no patience with him. Last
week he nearly killed our dog .for
chasing a ball his boy was rolling.
Last evening he hailed me and said
the dividing fence was six feet over
on his yard. I asked him why he
didn't -get his landlord to rec.ti.fy -it.
It seems that he is fighting witti him,
tpo." . . , '
"All right," said Mr. Barry. "I'll
attend to that myself," and he went
to considerable trouble and expense.
Ward gotup one morning to see his,
neighbor had given him the yard
room he coveted, but he only snorted,
and two days later shouted wrath
fully across the fence, that Mr. Barry
had better give up some chickens he
missed.
"Perhaps," said gentle Mrs. Barry,
"that strayed son of pis has soured
his nature. They say he has got
into all kinds of trouble.
"He drove him away, as T get it,"
explained Mr. , Barry. "If it's any
thing, it's remorse. Just think, if we'
had been harsh with poor dead, Wil
lis, ho.w it would rob us. of the sweet
memories of the pleasant! life we gave
him, for all his waywardness. It's a
memory that makes me "feel more
careful and kinder to all humanity
every day!"
"You are a good man, David," said
his wife, earnestly, "and a patient
one, but rI fear you will never make.